Slav Macedonians - Religious and Expressive Culture

Religious Beliefs.
The majority of Slav Macedonians are Orthodox Christians. Most belong
to the Macedonian Orthodox church (MOC), which was established in 1958
with the help of Marshal Tito. This is a rare example of a Communist
leader actually supporting the establishment and welfare of a religious
body. To this day the MOC is not recognized by any of the Orthodox
patriarchates and churches. The reason behind this lack of recognition
is the realization that the Creation of the MOC was politically
motivated on the part of the Yugoslav Communists, engineered to weaken
the power and influence of the Serbian church, and intended to lend more
legitimacy to the newly established "Macedonian" nation.
Despite the political problems surrounding the MOC, the Slav Macedonians
uphold similar dogmas and liturgical practices as their Orthodox
neighbors in Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Greece. Central elements of their
belief are the primacy of the Holy Trinity and the importance of saints
as examples of Christian living. During the Middle Ages a heresy known
as Bogumilism spread throughout the central Balkan Peninsula. It was a
mixture of Christianity and Manichaean teachings, which held that there
is a constant eternal struggle between good and evil, light and
darkness. God is the creator of the soul, which is perfect and good,
whereas Satan is the creator of the body, which is imperfect and impure.
The Bogumils believed only in the New Testament and rejected church
sacraments. (A related heresy in western Europe is known as Catharism.)
Slav Macedonians joined the heresy in large numbers and suffered
persecution by the civil and ecclesiastical authorities. Eventually,
Bogumilism weakened and disappeared, thus closing the chapter of a very
interesting part of the history of Slavs in Macedonia.

Religious Practitioners.
The importance of the Orthodox clergy in Slav Macedonian history and
culture cannot be underestimated. During the centuries under Ottoman
domination it was the clergy who maintained a sense of continuity of
culture. Often enough the priest was the only literate person in the
village, sometimes functioning as a teacher as well.

Ceremonies. As is the case among other Balkan peoples, the saints of the
Orthodox church appear to have replaced ancient pagan deities and many
of the ceremonies of the church can be viewed as a continuation of pagan
rites and festivals. For example, beliefs in thunder being caused by the
chariot of Saint Elijah as it is driven over the sky, or in fertility
rites involving slaughter of a rooster or a lamb to assist Conception in
a sterile woman, are remnants of ancient pre-Christian beliefs and
practices. The celebration of Christmas is of great importance and the
customs surrounding the occasion can be traced back to pagan winter
celebrations akin to the Roman Saturnalia. Easter has been delegated a
second place, but it still may be considered as a continuation of
ancient festivities of Dionysus. Women then color eggs red, which is
considered the color of life. The Easter festivities are connected with
the pagan spring rites, celebrated to ensure fertility of humans,
beasts, and fields.

Arts.
A long tradition of Christian iconography among the Slav Macedonians
has left many splendid examples in the hundreds of churches and
monasteries. Although Slav Macedonian iconography was heavily influenced
by Byzantine art, there was a definite move away from the stylized
Byzantine rigidity, with a strong emphasis on nature and the addition of
a three-dimensional perspective. Another aspect of artistic expression
can be found in the colorful female peasant costumes that are still worn
by the older women. The variations from region to region are bewildering
and stand in sharp contrast to the all-black clothing sometimes seen
worn by women in Serbia, Greece, and Italy. Embroidery motifs borrow
heavily from ancient themes such as depictions of mythological animals,
bears' paws, and geometric figures. The traditional Slav
Macedonian round dance (
oro
) is a highly intricate, fast-stepping dance whose origin can be traced
back for centuries. Similar dances are called
horos
in Greece,
horo
in Bulgaria, and
hora
in Romania. The music is rich but has highly irregular rhythms.
Polyrhythmic combinations are common.
Lazarice
are folk songs sung by girls on Saint Lazarus's Day, related to
pagan spring songs.
Kraljice
are sung on Saint George's Day.

Medicine.
Modern medical science has replaced healing practices that
traditionally fell within the domain of older women. Dancing around sick
people, as a form of exorcism, was part of the ancient healing practices
to ward off evil spirits causing the illness. The "evil
eye" was also believed responsible for causing illness in babies
and animals and even inanimate objects such as houses.

Death and Afterlife.
Among the Slav Macedonians the twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany
are dedicated to the reverence of the dead, during which period their
souls wander about the living and participate in everyday life. Evil
souls are believed to be found among the rest of the souls, so a dance
known as
dzamala
is performed to chase them away. In the dance, dancers representing the
world of the living fight with and defeat dancers representing the
underworld. As Christians, they believe in an afterlife along the lines
held by the Orthodox church, but, as can be seen, ancient Slavic beliefs
do find a place in modern practi